Device for opening shells of slide and shell cartons



March "10, 1953 c. T. HALL 2,630,742

DEvrcE EDR OPENEN@ sHELLs DE SLIDE AND SHELL cARToNs Filed Jan. 23, 195o a-sneets-sneet 1 27W@ MEM 'Marhm 1953 `c; T. HALL 2,630,742

DEVICE FOR OPENING SHELLS OF SLIDE AND SHELL CARTONS Filed Jan, 25, 195o s sheets-sheet 2" March 1o, 1953 c. T. HALL 2,630,742

` DEVICE FOR OPENING SHELLS OF' SLIDE AND SHELL CARTONS Filed Jan 2s, 195o s sheets-sheet :s

Patented Mar. l0, 1953 DEVICE FOR OPENING SHELLS OF SLIDE AND SHELL CARTONS Charles Thomas Hall, Deptford, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application January 23, 1950, Serial No. 140,123 In Great Britain February 2, 1949 3 Claims.

This invention concerns improvements in or 'relating to devices for opening shells of slide and shell cartons of the kind used in automatic packing machines, for example, cigarette packing machines.

An object of the invention is to providea device of this kind which is readily adjustable so as to deal with shells of various heights, that is shells `for packets of various thicknesses.

It is common to open a flattened shell, for example, for a cigarette carton, by subjecting it to pressure at the two edges of the flattened shell. 'Ihe shell is pressed at one edge by a movable member such as a reciprocating feed tooth which also serves to move the shell to the opening 4position and at the opposite edge by another movable member which presents an interior angle to the edge of the shell and at a higher level so that the flattened shell, just before opening commences, lies at an angle to a horizontal plane or surface along which it is moved to the opening position. The guiding of the leading edge of the shell upwards to the corner of said angle is effected by an angular ramp or guide and the present device is of this kind.

In such devices as hitherto constructed the ramp is commonly a hinged plate and not only is hinging undesirable in view of dirt and wear but such a device can only handle shells of substantially the same height or packet thickness.

According to the present invention there is provided a shell opener of the kind referred to comprising a ramp inclined at a fixed angle and means whereby the ramp surface and the shell may be brought into contact in the initial stages of the opening operation and withdrawn from contact as opening proceeds. Thus the ramp may be movable into and out of the part of the opener where the shell is located or a fixed ramp may be used and the opener so operated that at times the ramp is within said part of the opener and outside said part at other times.

Further according to the invention there is provided a shell opener of the kind referred to comprising a member of substantially L- shaped cross-section which is arranged With an arm of the L in a vertical position so that the other member is horizontal and an interior angle is .provided for engaging the shell, said vertical member being fixed to an operating member movable during shell opening at an angle of with respect to a horizontal plate forming ramps extending from said horizontal Vplate and disposed at to the path of movement of the operating member the ramps passing through holes in the L member so arranged that the latter can only move down towards the horizontal plate to a position determined by said ramps which are then directed to the corner of the interior angle. v

The L-shaped member may be adjustable on the operating member so that the height of the horizontal member of the L from the base plate of the opener can be adjusted to render the device useful for shells of various heights and with the construction set forth in the previous paragraph it will be seen that as the L member is adjusted to a new position (e. g. raised) it will, when in the lowest position it occupies during the shell opening operation, be arrested by the ramps which will then be directed to the corner of the interior angle.

The device may comprise pressers operating on opposite sides of the flattened shell viz. one above and one below the shell and located respectively near the L member and the other movable member (such as a feed tooth) such pressers being well known in the art.

One way of carrying the invention into effect will be described with reference to the accomlpanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a packing machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary views illustrating the operation of the device.

Referring to the drawings a shell S is fed out of a magazine and delivered on to the surface of the machine bed I. The manner of feeding the shell forms no part of the present invention but it may be mentioned that the shell can be fed out by a reciprocating tooth or by any suitable suction device. In the case of the machine of which the devices illustrated form part, the shell is brought down by suction from a magazine and moves down in the direction of the arrow, Figure l, to the bed I at the position shown whereupon a reciprocating pusher 2 moves it to the right by a distance about equal to the width of the flattened shell. At the time when the shell is deposited in the position shown, an oscillating pusher tooth 3 is at the other end of its movement from that shown in Figure l and as the tooth swings to the right, the tooth pushes the shell, which has been moved along the bed by the pusher 2 in the meantime, sideways into the opening device generally indicated by the reference 4. At one end of the opening device are a pair of fixed ramps 5 whose operative faces are at an angle of 45 to the surface of the bed I.

Beneath '.the' bedll is Xed-aguide I5 .located at an vangle of 45` to the plane of the bed i so that there is an angle of 90 between the operative faces of the ramps 5 and the guide' I5... A slide 'I is movable up and down .the..-guide.by cam mechanism described' later', "movingl up 'the guide for shell opening and down i't during "shell feeding. The upper part' of; the.. slideuext'ends horizontally at 8. To ythev vhorizontal spart is fixed an angle bracket 9 to which is Yattached an L-shaped piece I' ab,out to.; be, described. One limb les of the L is locatedv in arvertical plane and adjustably xed to the vertical part of the angle bracket. The limb salsof'slotted aty II to provide clearance for the ramps 5, see liigure 2.' The' other memberlIlBof theLis rela-1 itively -short and is ylocated inra: horizontal-plane, i. es parallel to #the 'bedzl and. thusther-member j gprovidesan 'interior angle or corner adapted to Vr-engage that-'side o'fthe shell opposite tothe side engaged'by the oscillating tooth 3.'. Theundersurface of `the extremity of thehorizontal member IOB of the L is curved or; beveled as shown '1' irl-Figure 'r1 to Yform' azlead which tends' to direct e ys'hellsf'into' thevcorner when 'they fai-l izo-move n =flmm`ediately.intosaidf corner. i: ItV 'will-also be. -fseenfrom lll'igureflfthat'ths inner-corner of the Lv isfnicked cr undercut tdpiovde aproper *location for lthe'. corner or-theV shell.

'f 'i In' setting up th'exdevice :for :a particular shell *fthe `slide vI is moved to" its top `position on theV Vf guide 6 andthenthe LV member is adjusted until iti-contacts withv an openfshelllying` inside the f openers 4Figure 5` shows ani opened shell with the slide I at its top positionandthe `i... touch- Ming the top ofY theV shell.'` Itcwill be seen that if; say, a smaller shell is tobe'dealt with., it is f *only necessaryv to .bring :the machine .parts to llthis position andthen to lower-the L byrits adf justmentfuntil it touches'.l the top, of the shell. A Referring to :Figures 3 t'o 5, as the slide moves to l the advanced .positionggthe :L k-memberf passes, in i movingtowardssthe pusher 2, 'beyond the ramps which are thereaftergoutside of theshellopener. As the .slide movesgdown when anew flat tenedshell is tobe fed'zintothe opener.- the hori- Zontal:A member of;the. L moves-1 down-A.v towards "f v `-the'bed'I but:..rernains;` parallel thereto while the verticalrmembeiunoves downthrough the bed I, v ren1aining vertical'. .thereto f. ander f moving away i f ffroml. the .pusher 2:11 Dnringjhisxmovement the L member'moves .past the ramps. so that at the wend of themovement theramps areagain inside .thenopener and directed'-towardsfthev interior angle` orA fcorner ofv the L.

Theoperation; of 'this general'fkind of shell' ,opener is well known and onlyabrief description seems necessary.:Y `Therpressure ofY the tooth t .and L member; causes the shell to openiand to vensure correct opening Vand prevent displacement -w'ofthe shellfrom. its, position inthe Limember;

"Thereare provided top andY bottom pressers E2 1 -and I3'which bend the shellfinto shallow arcs and :.'ensurethat it opens instead ofsmerely bowing. 'Thus as a new shelll is moved into the opener V11W-,the tooth a-aitsieading `edge slides-up th tooth), causes the shell to open, the full opening becoming possible with the disappearance of the ramps from the inside of the opener. The forward position of the L member is sub- 5'* stantially'constant*forfshells 'of all heights within the capacity of the device but thefrear position varies with the adjustment because the lower the L is set on the slide the sooner its movement ismchecked bv the abutting of the L and the lil: ramps.

The devices for operating the parts will now besdescribed.

A'shaft I4 has a crown cam I5 affixed thereto 1.4i' `and:beyond-.the cam I5 is a disc cam I6 and a l.5bevelgear-.wheel I1 is fixed to the end of the shaftl.-. .A similar bevel gear wheel I8 is xed to a vertical shaft I9 at the top of which is another sf-bevel gear wheel 20 engaging with a similar wheel 2I fixed on'a shaft 22 to which cams 23 20..anddare fixed.

:The crownrcam I5.engagesa roller 251cm the yfend of `a lever. 26 pivoted. to.-the=machine bed at 2l. and to-thatop of this-lever is=-tixed the tooth 3. Thecam 23- on .the shaft 22 engages a roller 28-on -ar-double armed lever 29 pivotedto the bed at 30 andthe otherv end of-theileveris-curved round as shown land. carries .auroller 3-I which pressesorrthe end ofthe slide 'L` A spring 32 V30 housed intheguidfe 6 moves-the slides on the `.return.mcvementi .The uppen end ofthe-double armed leverhas .a slot 33. concentric with a-shaft 22. and along which thefroller 28 .can bes'hifted. It .will beseen that..thenearer-theroller 28 is to the pivotV 3d the .greater the stroke of the y...slide ..1 andy bythis.adjust1:r1ent..tlie` stroke can y. be setfor-.anythickness ofshell.. ItQwill-be seen thatthe collapsed width ofa'thin shell'. (e. g. for

j lve cigarettes) is.1es`s...than...that o-f ashell for y40. ten..cigarettes of-...the. same.. kind,` ..and...the'refore as the-movements ofthe tooth 3 are. thesame undeuany circumstances. the .leading V.corner of .athin .shell .woulde beflaten in....contacting the .interioncornerof .the .L ..1nember. ^Once a collapsed shell isn-lippedA between .the tooth and the angle ofthe L-,member itopenslwith extreme. rapidity.

It is therefore. necessary that 'themovement f, Cif-the L. member should be faster forthin shells so as to meet the shell at a given position of VVthe tooth 3, .otherwise the .ramps .would be in the way' oftheVr openingshell. The-above described'adjustment of .the roller.. thus` .caters for i ,allj' shells...and.under,any.circumstances the ...instant .thecollapsed shell .is iirst nippedbetween thetooth 3., and.v the, interior.. corner. of....the L member is. substantially constant.

The cam 24 on the shaft' 22 engages Yaroller Sil at one. end of 'a double armed lever 3 5 pivoted GO at 3S to' a bracket 37 fixed to the bed.' The other arm of the lever isy formed into a flat bracket 38 to which is ,attached aplate 39 whose free end constitutes the top presser I2." Tothe lever 3.5 is connected a .link 4I) .whose lowerend is 55v pivoted a't 4t to a double-armedlever. 42 `pivoted to the bed at @3l ,To the other arm of this lever is fixed the bottom presser. .I3..".Thus..the two pressersV operate together. After the shell `hasbeen opened, alled slide l0. is inserted in the shell and in the machine shown, this is done in a well-known.manner,.-which will be brieiiy described. the vleft-hand vside f Figure 2 is .a-mouth- F.piece4l,.throughl.which...the slide ispushed by 5 an overhead conveyor (not shown) Before this occurs, the open shell is pushed on to the mouthpiece so that the latter functions as a kind of funnel. The shell is pushed on the mouthpiece by an oscillating pusher 45 pivoted at 46 to the bed and beyond the pivot is a lever 41 having a roller 48 at its end which engages the disc cam I6. After the shell has been pushed on the mouthpiece, the pusher acts as a stopper or abutment while the slide is being inserted and gives way just as the slide is home.

In another construction, which, in view of the foregoing description, does not appear to need illustration, the ramps may be carried on a member slidable along the table and moving into and out of the shell opening position. The movement of the L member is then not necessary, but it is set in a xed position embracing the height and one side of the open shell.

As the leading edge of the iiat shell, which is pushed forward by the tooth, arrives at the corner of the L, the ramps recede and disappear behind the vertical face of the L.

This method is not so desirable owing to the extreme angle of the shell relative to the pushing tooth. This would impair opening of the shell, especially shells with a small body width. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for opening attened shells of slide and shell cartons solely by the application there- 7 to of external pressure, said device comprising, in combination, a generally horizontal support for a attened shell, a xed ramp inclined upwardly and away from said support, a presser member supported for movement toward and into engagement with one corner of a flattened shell resting on said support to eiect displacement of the shell toward said ramp, whereby the opposite corner of the shell is caused to slide upwardly on said ramp, a second and angu'larly shaped presser member having a generally horizontal and a generally vertical leg presenting an interior angle of 90 to the said opposite corner of said shell, and means supporting said second presser member for movement transversely of and beyond said ramp to engage and apply pressure to said opposite corner of the shell to eilect full opening of the shell to rectangular crosssection.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 including devices mounting said second presser member for generally vertical adjustment on its supporting means to accommodate the device to the handling of shells of varying height.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supporting means for the second presser member comprises an operating member, mechanism for reciprocating said operating member, and means cooperating with said mechanism to alter the length of the stroke of said operating member to accommodate the device to the opening of shells of different thickness.

CHARLES THOMAS HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the flle of this patent: 

